Modern businesses often employ integrated computer systems to gather and record information from various departments and operations. Such integrated systems allow information to be efficiently shared between departments. Information collected may include accounting records, payroll records, personnel records, manufacturing records, and the like.
In a decentralized business environment, integrated computer systems may provide front line managers with information pertaining to employees reporting to the managers. Such information may include personnel records and other sensitive information of the employees. A manager may use this information to perform human resources and other decentralized tasks for employees reporting to the manager.
Decentralized business environments may be used in connection with matrix organizations. Matrix organizations are typical of businesses in the service industry where people are a primary resource of the company and need to be leveraged between accounts to maximize their expertise. In a matrix organization, a manager has responsibilities and needs access to records of employees who administratively belong to an organization managed by the manager and employees who are temporarily performing work for the organization but administratively belong to another organization.